Twenty-One Sermons on Amos 1, Sermon 8
THE Eight Lecture.
AMOS 1.4.
Therefore will I ſend a fire into the houſe of Hazael, and it ſhall deuoure the palaces of Benhadad, &c.
THis is the fourth part of this prophecy againſt the Syrians, wherein are ſet downe the puniſhments to be inflicted vponupon the Syrians for their ſinnes, as firſt I noted,
Generally, verſe the 4.
Specially, verſe the 5.
In the fourth verſe, wherein the puniſhments to be inflicted vponupon the Syrians, are generally ſet downe, I note,
1 Who puniſheth.
2 How he puniſheth.
3 Whom he puniſheth.
The puniſher is the Lord; he puniſheth by fire. The puniſhed are the Syrians, to be vnderſtood in the names of their Kings, Hazael and Benhadad. I will ſend a fire into the houſe of Hazael, and it ſhall deuoure the palaces of Benhadad.
The puniſher is the Lord; for thus ſaith the Lord, I will ſend. The note yeeldeth vsus this doctrine, It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vponupon the wicked for their ſinnes.
In ſpeaking of the vengeance of God, our firſt care muſt bee, not to derogate any thing from his procliuitie, and propenſnes vntounto mercy. We muſt breake out into the mention of his great goodneſſe, and ſing a lowd of his mercies, as Dauid doth, Pſ. 145.7. The Lord is gracious, and mercifull, ſlow to anger; and of great kindneſſe; he is louing, and good to all; his mercy is ouer all his works. The Lord ſtrong, and mighty, bleſſed aboue all, yea being bleſſedneſſe it ſelfe, and therefore hauing no need of any man, is louing, and good vntounto eueryevery man.
Our ſinnes hauehave prouoked his vengeance againſt vsus yet he, ſlow to anger, and of great goodnes; reſerueth mercy for thouſands, for all the elect, and forgiueth all their iniquities, tranſgreſſions, and ſinnes. His goodneſſe here reſteth not: it reacheth alſo vntounto the reprobate, though they cānot feele the ſweet comfort of it. For he maketh hisaMatth 5.45. ſun to riſe on the euill, & the good; and ſendeth raine on the iuſt, and vniuſt; yea many times the ſunne, and raine and all outward, and temporary bleſſings are wanting to the iuſt, and good, when the vniuſt, and euil do flouriſh, and are in great proſperitie.
Thus is Gods graciouſneſſe, & great bountie extended vntounto eueryevery man, whether he be a bleſſed Abel, or a curſed Cain; a loued Iacob, or a hated Eſau; an elected Dauid, or a reiected Saul. God is louing and good vntounto eueryevery man: the Pſalmiſt addeth; and his mercies are ouer all his workes. There is not any one of Gods workes, but it ſheweth vntounto others, and findeth in it ſelfe very large teſtimonies, of Gods mercy, and goodnes; I except not the damnation of the wicked, much leſſe the chaſtiſements of the Godly.
Gods mercies are ouer all his workes. Dauid knew it well, and ſang accordingly, Pſal. 145 8. The Lord is gracious, and mercifull, long ſuffering, and of great goodneſſe. Ionah knew it well, and confeſſed accordingly, chap. 4.2. Thou art a gracious God and mercifull, ſlow to anger, and of great kindneſſe, and repenteſt thee of euill. The Church knowes it well, and praies accordingly: O God whoſe nature and propertie is euer to hauehave mercy, and to forgiue, receiue our humble petitions. Dauid, Ionah, and the Church, all hauehave learned it at Gods owne mouth, who hauing deſcended in a cloud to mount Sinai, paſſed before the face of Moſes and cryed, as is recorded, Exod. 34.6. The Lord, the Lord, ſtrong, mercifull, and gracious, ſlow to anger, and abundant in goodneſſe, and truth, reſeruing mercy for thouſands, forgiuing iniquity, tranſgreſſion, and ſinne. In which place of Scripture, although af…erward there followeth a little of his iuſtice, which hee may not forget, yet we ſee the maine ſtreame runneth concerning mildneſſe, and kindneſſe, and compaſſion: wherby wee may perceiue, what it is, wherein the Lord delighteth. His delight is to be a ſauiour, a deliuerer, a preſeruer, a redeemer, and a pardoner. As for the execution of his iudgements, his vengeance, and his furie, he comes vntounto it with heauy and leaden feet.
To which purpoſe Zanchius alleageth that of the Prophet Eſai. chap. 28.21. The Lord ſhall ſtand (as once he did in mount Perazim, when Dauid ouercame the Philiſtines) he ſhall be angry (as once he was in the valley of Gibeon, when Ioſhua diſcomfited the fiue Kings of the Amorites) he ſhall ſtand, he ſhall be angry, that he may doe his worke, his ſtrange worke, and bring to paſſe his act, his ſtrange act; out of which words of the Prophet he notes that Gods workes are of two ſorts; either proper vntounto himſelfe, and naturall; as, to hauehave mercy, and to forgiue: or elſe ſtrange and ſomewhat diuers from his nature; as, to be angry, and to puniſh.
I know ſome doe expound theſe words otherwiſe, vnderſtanding by that ſtrange worke, and ſtrange act of God, there mentioned, Opus aliquod inſolens, & admirabile, ſome ſuch worke as God ſeldome worketh; ſome great wonder. Notwithſtanding this naturall expoſition of that place, the former may well be admitted alſo. For it is not altogether vnnaturall, being grounded vponupon ſuch places of Scripture, as doe make for the preeminence of mercy aboue iuſtice. It's true: God hath one skale of iuſtice, but the other proues the heauier; mercy doth ouerweigh. He who is euer iuſt, is mercifull more then euer, if it may be poſſible. He may forget our iniquities, but his tender mercies he will neuer forge….
This our Lord, good, mercifull, gracious, and long ſuffering, is here in my text the puniſher, and ſendeth fire into the houſe of Hazael: whereupon I built this doctrine; It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vponupon the wicked for their ſinnes.
This office of executing vengeance vponupon the wicked for ſinnes, God arrogateth and aſſumeth to himſelfe, Deut. 32 35. where he ſaith, vengeance and recompenſe are mine. This due is aſcribed vntounto the Lord by S. Paul, Rom. 12.19. It is written, vengeance is mine, I will repay, ſaith the Lord. By the author of the Epiſtle to the Hebrewes, chap. 10.30. Vengeance belongeth vntounto me, I will recompenſe, ſaith the Lord. By the ſweet ſinger, Pſal. 94.1. O Lord God, the auenger, O God, the auenger.
You ſee by theſe now-cited places, that God alone is hee who executeth vengeance vponupon the wicked for their ſins. This doctrine is faithfully deliuered by the wiſe ſonne of Syrach, chap. 39, where he ſaith:Verſ 28. There be ſpirits that are created for vengeance, which in their rigour lay on ſure ſtrokes; in the time of deſtruction they ſhew forth their power, & accompliſh the wrath of him that made them: Fire, and haile, and famine, & death, Verſ 29.all theſe are created for vengeance: The teeth of wilde beaſts, Verſ 30.and the ſcorpions, and the ſerpents, and the ſword, execute vengeance for the deſtruction of the wicked. Nay, ſaith he,Verſ. 26. The principall things for the whole vſe of mans life: as water, and fire, and yron, and ſalt, and meale, and wheat, and hony, and milke, and the bloud of the grape, and oile, and cloathing. Verſ 27.All thoſe things though they be for good vntounto the godly, yet to the ſinners they are turned vntounto euill. So my doctrine ſtandeth good; It is proper to the Lord to execute vengeance vponupon the wicked for their ſinnes.
And you ſee he hath waies enough to do it. All things that may be for our good, are glad to do him ſeruice againſt vsus.
The conſideration hereof ſhould moue our hearts to wiſdom. It ſhould moue vsusbHereof I ſpake in a Sermon vponupon Hebr. 10.30. to beware of thoſe crying ſinnes vſually committed againſt the firſt table, that we prouoke not Gods vengeance againſt vsus, by Idolatrie, in worſhiping the creature aboue the creator, bleſſed for euer; by tempting God, in making triall whether his word be true or not; by murmuring againſt God in laying iniuſtice to his charge, quod bonis male fit & malis bene; for afflicting the godly, when the wicked liue at eaſe; by rebellion and contumacie, in taking counſell together againſt the Lord, & againſt his Chriſt; by blaſphemy, in doing deſpite to the Spirit of grace.
It may moue vsus alſo to beware of thoſe other ſins, crying ſins too, vſually committed againſt the ſecond table; that we prouoke not Gods vengeance againſt vsus by diſhonouring our parents, and ſuch as God hath put in place of gouernment aboue vsus; by grieuing our children, and ſuch as are by vsus to be gouerned; by oppreſſing the fatherleſſe, and the poore; by giuing our ſelues ouer vntounto filthy luſts.
Beloued in the Lord, let vsus not forget this: though God, bee good, gracious, mercifull, and long ſuffering, yet is hee alſo a iuſt God; God the auenger, and puniſher. Here we ſee he reſolueth to ſend a fire into the houſe of Hazael; which is, the ſecond thing to be conſidered; How God puniſheth: By fire. I will ſend a fire &c.
Albeit ſometime God himſelfe doth by himſelfe immediately execute his vengeance vponupon the wicked; as when he ſmote all the firſt borne of Egypt, Exod. 12.29. and Nabal. 1. Sam. 25.38. and Vzzah, 2. Sam, 6.7. yet many times he doth it by his inſtruments:cWigand. Syntagm. Vet. Teſt. Inſtrumenta ſunt tota creatura Dei; All the creatures of God are ready at his command to be the executioners of his vengeance. Among the reſt, and in the firſt ranke, is fire.
God ſent a fire to lay waſt Sodom and Gomorah, and their ſiſter cities, Gen. 19.24. to eate vp Nadab, and Abihu, Leuit 10.2, to cut of the two hundred, and fifty men, that were in the rebellion of Korah, Num. 16.35. to deuoure two captaines & twiſe fifty men, 2. King. 1.10. & 12. I will not load your memories with multitude of examples for this point. My text telleth you, that fire, Gods creature, becommeth Gods inſtrument, & executioner of his vengeance: I will ſend a fire into the houſe of Hazael, and it ſhall deuoure the palaces of Benhadad.
By fire in this place the learneddLyranus. Druſius. Ar. Montanus. Mercer. Caluin. Gualter expoſitors doe vnderſtand not only naturall fire, but alſo the ſword, and peſtilence, and famine; quod libet genus conſumptionis, eueryevery kind of conſumptiō, eueryevery ſcourge, wherewith God puniſheth the wicked, and diſobedient, be it haile, or thunder, or ſicknes, or any other of Gods meſſengers. So farre is the ſignification of fire, though not in the naturall, yet in the Metaphorical vnderſtanding extended. The doctrine which from hence I gather is.
As is the fire, ſo are all other creatures at the Lords commandement to bee imployed by him in the puniſhment of the wicked.
This truth well appeareth by that which I euen now repeated out of Eccleſ. 39. whence you heard, that ſome ſpirits are created for vengeance; as alſo are fire, and haile, and famine, and death, and the teeth of wild beaſts, and the ſcorpions, and the ſerpents, and the ſword; yea, that the principall things for the whole vſe of mans life, as water, and fire, and yron, and ſalt, and meale, & wheat, and hony, and milke, and the bloud of the grape, and oile, & cloathing, are all for euill vntounto the wicked. If that proofe, becauſe the booke, whence it is taken, is Apocryphall, like you not: giuegive care I pray you, while I proue it out of Canonicall Scripture. The doctrine to be proued is.
Fire, and all other creatures, are at the Lords commandement to be imploied by him in the puniſhment of the wicked.
I proue it by the ſeruice of Angels, and other creatures. 2 King. 19.35. we read of an hundred fourſcore and fiue thouſand in the camp of Aſhur ſlaine by an Angell of the Lord. The thing is related alſo, Eſay 37.36. This miniſterie of Gods Angels Dauid acknowledgeth Pſal. 35.5, 6. where his prayer againſt his enemies is, that the Angell of the Lord might ſcatter and perſecute them. 1. Sam. 7.10. we read that the Lord did thunder a great thunder vponupon the Philiſtines. Ezech. 14. wee read how the Lord puniſheth a ſinfull land, with hiseEzech. 14.21. foure ſore iudgements, the ſword, peſtilence, famine, and noyſome beaſts.
The ſtory of Gods viſitation vponupon Pharaoh, and the Egyptians in Exod. chap. 8, 9. and 10. is fit for my purpoſe, You ſhall there find, that frogs, lice, flies, graſhoppers, thunder, haile, lightning, murraine, botches, & ſores, did inſtrumentally auenge God vponupon man and beaſt in Egypt. Adde hereto what you read, Pſal. 148.8. fire and haile, and ſnow, and vapours, and ſtormy winds doe execute Gods commandement. Thus is my doctrine proued, As is the fire, ſo are all other creatures at the Lords commandement to be imployed by him in the puniſhment of the wicked.
The vſe of this doctrine is to teach vsus, how to behaue our ſelues at ſuch times as God ſhall viſit vsus with his rod of correction, how to carry our ſelues in all our afflictions. We muſt not ſo much looke to the inſtruments, as to the Lord that ſmiteth by them.
Here ſet we before our eyes holy King Dauid. His patience! be it the patterne of our Chriſtian imitation. When Shimei a man of the family of the houſe of Saul, came out againſt him, caſt ſtones at him, and railed vponupon him, calling him to his face a man of blood, and a man of Belial, a murtherer, and a wicked man, the good King did not as he was wiſhed to doe: he took not away the murtherers life, but had reſpect to the primus motor, euen Almighty God, the firſt mouer of this his affliction; Shimei he knew was but the inſtrument. And therefore thus ſaith he to Abiſchai, 2. Sam. 16.10. He curſeth becauſe the Lord had bidden him curſe Dauid; and who dare then ſay, wherefore haſt thou done ſo? Suffer him to curſe, for the Lord hath bidden him.
Here alſo ſet we before our eies holy Iob. His patience! be it the patterne of our Chriſtian imitation. The loſſe of all his ſubſtance, & his children, by the Sabeans, Chaldeans, fire from heauen, and a great wind from beyond the wilderneſſe, could not turne away his eies from the God of heauen to thoſe ſecond cauſes. They he knew were but the inſtruments. And therefore poſſeſſing his ſoule in patience he ſaid, Iob. 1.21. Naked came I out of my mothers wombe, and naked ſhall I returne thither: the Lord hath giuen, and the Lord hath taken: bleſſed be the name of the Lord.
To theſe inſtances of Dauid, and Iob, adde one more; that of the bleſſed Apoſtles, Peter, Iohn, & the reſt, Act. 4.27. Though Herod, Pontius Pilate, the Gentiles, and the people of Iſrael, had crucified, and done to death the Lord of life, our Lord and Sauiour Ieſus Chriſt. Yet did not the Apoſtles therefore grow into a rage, and bitter ſpeeches againſt them. In that great execution of the Lord Ieſus, they had regard vntounto the hand of God. Herod, Pontius Pilat, the Gentiles, and the Iewes, they knew were but inſtruments. For thus make they their confeſſion before the Lord of heauen and earth, verſe the 28. Doubtleſſe both Herod, and Pontius Pilat, with the Gentiles, and the people of Iſrael, gathered themſelues together againſt thine holy Son Ieſus, to doe whatſoeuer thine hand, and thy counſell had determined to be done.
To good purpoſe then is that queſtion propounded by Amos, chap. 3.6. Shall there be euill in a city, and the Lord hath not done it? It may ſerue for an anchor to keepe vsus, that we be not carried away with the waues of tribulation, and affliction. It aſſureth vsus that God, who bad Shimei curſe Dauid, who ſent the Sabeans, Chaldeans, fire from heauen, and a great wind from beyond the wilderneſſe, to ſpoile, and make an end of Iobs ſubſtance and his children; who determined that Herod, Pontius Pilat, with the Gentiles, and the Iſraelites, ſhould put to death the Lord of life: that the ſame God hath his finger, yea, and his whole hand too, in all our croſſes and tribulations. Is there any euill in the city, and the Lord hath not done it?
Here (beloued in the Lord) muſt we be taxed for a vanity at leaſt, (I had almoſt ſaid a blaſphemie) deeply rooted, & too well ſetled among vsus. VponUpon the acceſſe of any calamity we cry out, bad lucke, bad fortue. If the ſtrong man come into our houſe, and take from vsus the flower of our riches, our ſiluer and gold, then we cry, What lucke? What fortune? If our ſheepe and cattell faile vsus, then alſo we cry, What lucke? What fortune? Whatſoeuer croſſe befalleth vsus, lucke and fortune is ſtill in our mouths: Quaſi Deus otium coloret in coelo, & non curaret res humanas; as if we were to hold it for an article of our beleefe, that God liueth idly in heauen, and hath no regard of mans affaires. Whereas the holy Prophet Amos in propounding this queſtion; ſhall there be any euill in the city, and t… Lord hath not done it? and the holy Apoſtles, in acknowledging Gods hand in the death of Chriſt; and holy Iob in bleſſing the name of the Lord for all his loſſes; and holy Dauid, in patiently taking Shimeis curſes, as an affliction ſent him from the Lord, doe all plainly ſhew this, that the empire of this world is adminiſtred by Almighty God, & that nothing happeneth vntounto vsus, but by Gods hand, and appointment. Learne we then more patience towards the inſtruments of our calamities, miſeries, croſſes, and afflictions: let vsus not belike the dogge, that ſnatcheth at a ſtone caſt at him, without regard vntounto the thrower. Here we learne a better propertie: euen to turne our eies from the inſtrumentes to the hand that ſmiteth by them. Thus farre of my ſecond circumſtance; How God puniſheth.
My third was; whom he puniſheth] Hazael and Benhadad; the houſe of Hazael, and palaces of Benhadad. If you will know who this Hazael was, you muſt hauehave recourſe to the ſacret ſtorie, 2. Kings 8. There ſhall you find him ſent by Benhadad, King of Syria, with a preſent vntounto Elizeus to know concerning his ſickneſſe, whether he ſhould recouer of it; and after his returne from Elizeus, with a thicke wet cloath to hauehave ſtrangled, and murdered his Lord, and Maſter, King Benhadad. This was he, whom Elizeus foretold of his hard vſage of the Iſraelites; that he ſhould ſet on fire their ſtrong cities; ſhould ſlay their young men with the ſword; ſhould daſh their infants againſt the ſtones; and ſhould rent in peeces their women great with child. This was he, who 2. Kings. 13.7. ſo deſtroyed the children of Iſrael, that hee made them like duſt beaten to powder. This was he of whoſe death we read verſe the 24.
The houſe of Hazael] either the familie, ſtocke, and poſterity of Hazael; as Arias Montanus, Mercer, Druſius expound: or ſome materiall houſe, which Hazael had proudly and ſtately built for himſelfe, and his poſteritie. This later expoſition is added to the former by Mercer, and Druſius, becauſe of that which followeth, the palaces of Benhadad.
Benhadad.] In writing this name, I find three errours. One of the Greeks who write foreign as if it were in the Hebrew Benader. The ſecond of the Latines, who write it Benhadad. The third of Ionathan, the Chaldee paraphraſt, who writes it Barhadad: whereas the right name is Benhadad.
Benhadad (ſaith Mercer vponupon this place) was a name peculiar to the Kings of Syria; as was firſt Pharaoh, and afterward Ptolemee to the Kings of Egypt, and Caeſar to the Roman Emperours. From this opinion of Mercer, Druſius in obſeruat. ſacr. 11.14. varieth, affirming that albeit diuerſe Kings of Syria were called by this name Benhadad, yet doth it not thereupon follow, that Benhadad was a common name to all the Kings of Syriae.
In holy Scripture we reade of three Benhadads. Of the firſt 1. Kings. 15.18. who was King of Syria, at what time Aſa raigned in Iudah, and Baaſha in Iſrael. Of the ſecond, 2 King. 8.7. who in his ſickneſſe ſent Hazael to Elizeus the man of God to counſaile. Of the third 2 Kings. 13.3. who was Hazaels ſonne, and his ſucceſſour in the throne.
Now the Benhadad in my text, is either Benhadad, Hazaels predeceſſour, ſlaine by Hazael, or Benhadad, Hazaels ſon, and ſucceſſour.
The Palaces of Benhadad] to bee deuoured by fire from the Lord. Theſe palaces of Benhadad are the goodly, ſumptuous, proud, and ſtately edifices made, or enlarged, by either of the Benhadads, or by both: Hazaels predeceſſour, and ſucceſſour.
Thus hauehave you the expoſition of my third circumſtance, which was concerning the parties puniſhed; no meane parties parties of no lower ranke then Kings: Hazael, and Benhadad The Lord puniſheth, hee puniſheth by fire; hee puniſheth by fire Hazael, and Benhadad; I will ſend a fire into the houſe of Hazael, and it ſhal deuoure the palaces of Benhadad. Many profitable doctrines may be hence deduced. I can but point at them.
1 In that the Lord ſendeth a fire into tho houſe of Hazael, againſt his family, and poſterity, we are put in minde of a truth expreſſed in the ſecond commandement; this: God will viſit the ſinnes of the fathers vponupon the children vntounto the third and fourth generation.
Dearely beloued; ſore is that anger, the flame of whoſe puniſhment caſteth out ſmoake ſo farre: yet the meaning thereof is, as Ezechiel ſheweth, chap. 18. If the children doe follow the fathers wickedneſſe, and not otherwiſe. To viſit then, is not to puniſh the children for the fathers offences, but to take notice, and apprehend them in the ſame faults, by reaſon they are giuen ouer to commit their fathers tranſgreſſions, that for them they be puniſhed.
The vſe is, to admoniſh you that are Parents, not onelyonly to liue your ſelues vertuouſly, and religiouſly, while you hauehave your abode here, but alſo carefully to ſee to the training vp of your children, in vertue, and true religion, leaſt pertaking with your in your ſins, they proue inheritours of your puniſhments alſo.
2 In that the Lord ſendeth a fire into the houſe, and palaces of Hazael, and Benhadad, two Kings: we learne this leſſon.
It is neither wealth, nor policie, nor power, nor preferment, that can ſtead vsus, if Gods vnappeaſeable anger break out againſt vsus for our ſinnes.
The reaſon hereof we read, Ierem. 4.4. It's this: Becauſe of the wickedneſſe of our inuentions, Gods wrath comes forth like fire, and burneth that none can quench it.
The vſe is to teach vsus, that wee deſpiſe not Gods iudgments, nor abuſe his mercies; but that we tremble at the one, and bee drawne to well doing by the other.
3 In that the Lord ſendeth a fire into the palaces of Benhadad, to deuoure them: we learne thus much.
God depriueth vsus of a great bleſſing, when hee taketh from vsus our dwelling houſes.
The great commoditie, or contentment, that commeth to eueryevery one of vsus by our dwelling houſes, doth experimentally make good vntounto vsus this truth.
The vſe is; to teach vsus, firſt, to be humbled before Almighty God, whenſoeuer our dwelling houſes are taken from vsus. Secondly, ſince we peaceably enioy our dwelling houſes, to vſe them for the furtherance of Gods glory. Thirdly, to praiſe God day by day for the comfortable vſe we hauehave of our dwelling houſes. It would tire you to heare theſe doctrines, and their vſes ſeuerally amplified, and enlarged. In the ſequele of this chapter, I ſhall hauehave occaſion to repeat them to you.